Westport Island-David Eugene Fairfield, SFC – Retired. Passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 16th, 2013. A man truly devoted to his family and his Country, he will be missed by all who knew him.

David, born the eldest son of Effie Mitchell on January 28th, 1930 was raised in Jaffrey, New Hampshire by his adopted parents, Grover and Amy Fairfield. After graduating from high school, David enlisted in the Army and set off on the adventure of his lifetime. Among the first of many places that David would be stationed around the world, was Ft. Dix, NJ. While stationed there David met the woman he shared his life and adventures with, Ella Belle Frace. David and Ella were married on December 22, 1950. They were married for 61 years before an illness would take her from him.

While in the Army David travelled the world; not only with our own military, but those of foreign countries as well. A skilled linguist, David was assigned as an interpreter to instruct, and work with several foreign Armies during the course of his 20 year career.

Throughout his career, David was accompanied by his wife, and their 6 children who were born in different locations around the world.

David and Ella permanently settled in Westport Isl. Maine in 1973 after David’s retirement from the Army. David would continue to work and travel as a civilian contractor for the military for several years thereafter, working in Vietnam, Thailand and Iran. He later retired a second time after several years working for the U.S. NAVY at NAS Brunswick and then Bath Iron Works.

Never one to slow down, David went back to school and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Maine at Augusta, then continued on to earn a Masters Degree in Business Administration from New Hampshire College in 1979.

A doting grandfather, David passed on a love for many of his favorite pastimes and hobbies including gardening, fishing, and “tinkering” to his grandchildren. Always at least one project going, “Grampa” always had at least one or two grandkids as his “assistants” at any given time. Teaching them valuable skills and captivating them with stories of his Army adventures.

In 2000, David and Ella began raising their great-grandson, David Jr. which became the newest chapter of the adventure story which was their lives. Raising young David into a thriving young man defined their daily lives. They were always being active supporters of all of his activities including School, Swim and Karate. Even to his last days, the welfare of young David’s welfare was always his grandfather’s primary concern.

David is predeceased by his wife, Ella, and his brother, Robert Fairfield.

He is survived by his sister Elizabeth Banta of both Topsham, ME and Venice, FL.

His legacy is carried on by his children; Patricia Asbury and her husband Terence of Knoxville TN; Eugene Fairfield and his wife, Anne of Westport Island; Joanne Lipe and her husband Ronald of Collierville TN; Robert Fairfield and his wife Katharine of Bolton MA; Roberta Littlefield and her husband Robert of Old Town and James Fairfield of Fremont, CA.

His memory will be cherished by his 19 grandchildren: Michelle Johnson, Brian Asbury, Christopher Asbury, Heather Couture, Ellen Fairfield, Emily Fairfield Childs, Elizabeth Fairfield, Benjamin Fairfield, Krista Lipe, Melissa Lipe, David E. Fairfield, Eric Fairfield, Tracy Silva, Jason Silva, James Robert Fairfield, Ronald Harrison Jr., Kagan Littlefield, Amanda Littlefield and Karey Littlefield.

Also his 13 great-grandchildren: Alexis Johnson, Adrienne Johnson, Morrigan Asbury, Timothy Childs, Hunter Childs, Dominic Couture, Ian Couture, Michael Fairfield, Liam Fairfield, David Fairfield Jr., Cyrus Chilles, Summer Ella Chilles and Jacob Verge.

David’s outgoing nature and ability to find commonalities among perfect strangers was one of his strongest attributes and earned him friends all over the world. David will be remembered and missed by those friends and acquaintances too numerous to even begin to list.

Funeral services for David will be held at the Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, on Civic Center Drive, in Augusta. He will be interred with his beloved wife Ella in the niche wall near The Chapel at 9am on Thursday, June 20th with full military honors.